Kilmacud Crokes 3-11 Craobh Chiarain 0-9
KILMACUD CROKES recorded their second successive win in Group A of the Dublin SHC following a comfortable 11-point victory over Craobh Chiaráin at a gloomy O’Toole Park last night.
The winning margin was embellished somewhat by two late goals but there was little doubting the quality and application of Crokes, who at this early juncture look well primed to have a prolonged run in the championship.
Ross O’Carroll was the game’s dominant personality, scoring five points from play over the hour in sticky conditions that generally favoured defenders while Ryan O’Dwyer chipped in with 2-1 including the second goal that effectively settled the tie seven minutes from time.
Brightly
Both teams started brightly with Keith Ryan turning sharply to land the first score inside 15 seconds but O’Dwyer responded immediately with an excellent score from the resultant puck-out.
Kilmacud gradually began to gain ascendancy with Dillon Mulligan typically busy at midfield and their dominance was reflected with three unanswered points through Ross O’Carroll and a Kevin O’Loughlin brace.
Ger Ennis landed a classy score to leave Craobh within two points but an off-day for Robbie Mahon from placed balls mitigated against the Donnycarney men as Naomhán Ó Riordáin restored Crokes’ three-point advantage with a long-range point. O’Carroll notched his second point of the night with a sublime score from the left-hand touchline and Crokes finished the half on a high as O’Dwyer availed of defensive confusion to tap home from close range for the game’s opening goal in injury time.
Ryan and Seán McGrath traded scores within eight minutes of the restart but gradually Craobh began to hurl with greater freedom, as reflected in two successive points from Eoin Conroy and Ennis but despite a few half-chances, the goal they required to reignite their challenge failed to materialise.
O’Carroll stamped his class on proceedings with two superb points either side of the third quarter mark and O’Dwyer was on hand to flick to the net in the 55th minute following a lengthy delivery from Matt Collins.
Crokes’ strength in depth saw the introduction of Conor Clinton, Barry O’Rorke and James Burke and it was Clinton who rounded off the tie in style in the 58th minute, skipping along the end line before firing an immaculate finish beyond Stephen Chester.
SCORERS – Kilmacud Crokes: R O’Dwyer 2-1; Ross O’Carroll 0-5; C Clinton 1-1; K O’Loughlin 0-2 (1f); N Ó Riordáin, S McGrath 0-1 each. Craobh Chiaráin: Derek O’Reilly 0-3 (2 ’65’, 1f); K Ryan (1f), G Ennis 0-2; E Conroy, S McDonnell 0-1 each.
KILMACUD CROKES: M Collins; B O’Carroll, N Corcoran, G McMorrow; R O’Loughlin, Rory O’Carroll, J Doughan; N Ó Riordáin, D Mulligan; Ross O’Carroll, D Kelly, J Sweeney; K O’Loughlin, R O’Dwyer, S McGrath. Subs: C Clinton for Ó Riordáin (39), B O’Rorke for O’Loughlin (46), J Burke for Sweeney (53).
CRAOBH CHIARáIN: S Chester; G Kelly, K Elliott, Damien O’Reilly; D Kelly, Derek O’Reilly, S McDonnell; P O’Boyle, S Kirwan; P Purtell, R Mahon, D Keane; G Ennis, E Conroy, K Ryan. Subs: F Usanga for Kirwan (30), S Ennis for Mahon (40), C McGouran for O’Boyle (61).
REF: D Ryan (St Pat’s, Palmerstown).
Evening Herald
